Whether There Was Any More Suitable Way of Delivering the Human Race
Than by Christ's Passion?
Objection 1: It would seem that there was some other more suitable
way of delivering the human race besides Christ's Passion. For nature
in its operation imitates the Divine work, since it is moved and
regulated by God. But nature never employs two agents where one will
suffice. Therefore, since God could have liberated mankind solely by
His Divine will, it does not seem fitting that Christ's Passion
should have been added for the deliverance of the human race.
Obj. 2: Further, natural actions are more suitably performed than
deeds of violence, because violence is "a severance or lapse from
what is according to nature," as is said in _De Coelo_ ii. But
Christ's Passion brought about His death by violence. Therefore it
would have been more appropriate had Christ died a natural death
rather than suffer for man's deliverance.
Obj. 3: Further, it seems most fitting that whatsoever keeps
something unjustly and by violence, should be deprived of it by some
superior power; hence Isaias says (52:3): "You were sold gratis, and
you shall be redeemed without money." But the devil possessed no
right over man, whom he had deceived by guile, and whom he held
subject in servitude by a sort of violence. Therefore it seems most
suitable that Christ should have despoiled the devil solely by His
power and without the Passion.
_On the contrary,_ St. Augustine says (De Trin. xiii): "There was no
other more suitable way of healing our misery" than by the Passion of
Christ.
_I answer that,_ Among means to an end that one is the more suitable
whereby the various concurring means employed are themselves helpful
to such end. But in this that man was delivered by Christ's Passion,
many other things besides deliverance from sin concurred for man's
salvation. In the first place, man knows thereby how much God loves
him, and is thereby stirred to love Him in return, and herein lies
the perfection of human salvation; hence the Apostle says (Rom. 5:8):
"God commendeth His charity towards us; for when as yet we were
sinners . . . Christ died for us." Secondly, because thereby He set
us an example of obedience, humility, constancy, justice, and the
other virtues displayed in the Passion, which are requisite for man's
salvation. Hence it is written (1 Pet. 2:21): "Christ also suffered
for us, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps."
Thirdly, because Christ by His Passion not only delivered man from
sin, but also merited justifying grace for him and the glory of
bliss, as shall be shown later (Q. 48, A. 1; Q. 49, AA. 1, 5).
Fourthly, because by this man is all the more bound to refrain from
sin, according to 1 Cor. 6:20: "You are bought with a great price:
glorify and bear God in your body." Fifthly, because it redounded to
man's greater dignity, that as man was overcome and deceived by the
devil, so also it should be a man that should overthrow the devil;
and as man deserved death, so a man by dying should vanquish death.
Hence it is written (1 Cor. 15:57): "Thanks be to God who hath given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." It was accordingly
more fitting that we should be delivered by Christ's Passion than
simply by God's good-will.
Reply Obj. 1: Even nature uses several means to one intent, in order
to do something more fittingly: as two eyes for seeing; and the same
can be observed in other matters.
Reply Obj. 2: As Chrysostom [*Athanasius, Orat. De Incarn. Verb.]
says: "Christ had come in order to destroy death, not His own, (for
since He is life itself, death could not be His), but men's death.
Hence it was not by reason of His being bound to die that He laid His
body aside, but because the death He endured was inflicted on Him by
men. But even if His body had sickened and dissolved in the sight of
all men, it was not befitting Him who healed the infirmities of
others to have his own body afflicted with the same. And even had He
laid His body aside without any sickness, and had then appeared, men
would not have believed Him when He spoke of His resurrection. For
how could Christ's victory over death appear, unless He endured it in
the sight of all men, and so proved that death was vanquished by the
incorruption of His body?"
Reply Obj. 3: Although the devil assailed man unjustly, nevertheless,
on account of sin, man was justly left by God under the devil's
bondage. And therefore it was fitting that through justice man should
be delivered from the devil's bondage by Christ making satisfaction
on his behalf in the Passion. This was also a fitting means of
overthrowing the pride of the devil, "who is a deserter from justice,
and covetous of sway"; in that Christ "should vanquish him and
deliver man, not merely by the power of His Godhead, but likewise by
the justice and lowliness of the Passion," as Augustine says (De
Trin. xiii).
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